Sports ramblings…with a Yankees bias!

The Return of #28…

I am glad that the Yankees moved quickly to re-sign
Manager Joe Girardi.It’s not like
Girardi was going anywhere, but the team has much greater things to be
concerned about than negotiating with Girardi.Once the Chicago Cubs named Mike Quade as their permanent manager, there
was really no question that Girardi would be back in New York.Of course, to listen to Girardi, Chicago was
never an option, but I have to believe at some level it was.

From everything I’ve read, Girardi was more like
the 2008 version in September than the 2009 version that was more relaxed and a
better players manager.Was it
uncertainty about his own future or the sluggish play of his team?Who knows, but whatever the cause, Girardi
has the comfort of knowing he should be able to call Yankee Stadium home for
the next 3 years.

For me, I had held a glimmer of hope that somehow
Don Mattingly could get the job but of course that was nixed the moment the Los
Angeles Dodgers made Donnie Baseball their manager following the departure of
Joe Torre.Outside of Mattingly, there
really was no other manager that I would have preferred to see hold the Yankees
job than Girardi.Well, maybe Terry
Francona, but rumor has it that he already has a job.

2011 will be a very challenging year for the
Yankees.They have an albatross or two
to deal with.It’s tough to sink over
$80 million into a pitcher that was a nightmare for most of the season (A.J.
Burnett).I saw a recent fan poll that
actually showed Yankee fans would prefer Javier Vazquez over Burnett.That’s bad.The first order of business for the new pitching coach, whenever he is
named, will be to restore Burnett to the pitcher he is capable of being.Also, decisions have to be made regarding the
Core, primarily Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada.Assuming DJ re-signs with the Yanks, he’ll continue to play at short but
will he lead off?Based on comments at
Girardi’s press conference, it would appear that this is being heavily
reconsidered (and rightfully so).As
Posada, the time is clearly now to move on to the next great Yankees catcher,
Jesus Montero.

Noah K. Murray/The Star Ledger

There are many hard decisions to be made between
now and spring training so hopefully Girardi and GM Brian Cashman are prepared
to make the right decisions for the best interests of the 2011 New York
Yankees.

So far, the World Series has been all San Francisco
Giants.It was clear they had superior
pitching in the NLCS but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at their play in the
first two games.I’ve always been a fan
of Matt Cain and he certainly has raised his game to a higher level during this
post-season.With a 2 games to none
lead, the series now shifts to Arlington, Texas.I am sure that we’ll see a much different
Rangers team in their home park, but if the Giants can win a game or two on the
road, I really like their chances to win the World Series.

I spent 14 years in Dallas and used to go to
Arlington to watch the Rangers play quite often.You’d think that I would pull for the Rangers
but as an American League fan, it is hard to pull for anyone other than the
Yankees.Plus, many of the times that I’d
go to Arlington, it was to see the Yankees so I was consistently cheering
against the Rangers.Meanwhile, I’ve
always been a fan of the Giants in the National League even though I didn’t
move to the Bay Area until about 5 years ago.So, given my current geographic location, it wasn’t hard to pull for the
Giants.

Finally, I just don’t think there is any way that
Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress pulls the plug on Brett Favre’s
consecutive games playing streak this Sunday against the New England
Patriots.While the best decision is to
probably start Tavaris Jackson, it’s a no-win situation for Childress if he
pulls Favre.So, win or lose, expect to
see #4 on the field when the Vikings take the ball.

Tom Olmscheid/AP

As for the Vikings-Patriots game, I have made yet
another wager with Julia of Julia’s Rants.The loser of the game must write a blog about the highlights of the opposing
team’s history.I know, the Patriots
have a more illustrious history than the Vikings, but I personally will like
reading about Joe Kapp, Fran Tarkenton and the others who made the Vikes such a
great success in the late 60’s and 70’s.

Zuma Press

I know, I still owe Julia for another lost wager at
the end of the baseball season.I will
try to make good this weekend.

Caffalo/NY Daily News

Finally, here is a great video of an awesome Giants fan who just can’t stop believin’…

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